As a child, John Bennett (Wahlberg) wished that his teddy bear was alive, and his wish came true. Twenty plus years later, John and Ted are still best friends and roommates. John works at a car rental agency, while Ted spends his days baked on the couch. John's girlfriend Lori (Kunis), who lives with them, thinks Ted is keeping John from growing up and ruining their relationship.
After an unfortunate event at the apartment, John helps Ted find an apartment and a job at the grocery store. Ted starts dating Tami-Lynn (Barth), a cashier at the grocery store. Can their friendship survive as their lives move forward?
I am not a big Seth MacFarlane fan. I've seen a few episodes of Family Guy, but have no desire to watch it regularly. The show has funny moments, but is not to my taste. MacFarlane is a skilled comedian, but tends to go a bit too far.
The previews looked funny and I heard good things about the film. It was enough to make me curious about the film. MacFarlane lends his well-known voice to the role of Ted, which he played through motion capture. Other members of the cast are regulars on MacFarlane's shows. Mark Wahlberg is a charismatic leading man, and makes you believe that a grown man could have a teddy bear as a best friend. The story is interesting, and apparently it was popular enough that they are planning to make a sequel. I didn't love the film, it was good, but not great.
The film will make an appearance at the Oscars, as a nominee for Best Original Song "Everybody Needs a Best Friend." With MacFarlane as the host, it will probably come up at other points during the telecast.
Ted (2012) 106 minutes
Rated: R for crude and sexual content, pervasive language, and some drug use
Director: Seth MacFarlane
Starring: Mark Wahlberg as John Bennett
Mila Kunis as Lori Collins
Seth MacFarlane as Ted
Joel McHale as Rex
Giovanni Ribisi as Donny
Patrick Warburton as Guy
Matt Walsh as Thomas
Jessica Barth as Tami-Lynn
Aedin Mincks as Robert
Patrick Stewart as Narrator
Surprised by how much I laughed my pants off during this because I’m not a huge fan of Family Guy, but somehow, a lot of the humor just clicked for me. MacFarlane is definitely a director to watch when it comes to making R-rated comedies. Nice review Sarah.
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